Driving Safety Tips

Driving in Fog

Fog can be thought of as a cloud at ground level. It forms when the temperature drops to the
dew point (the temperature at which air is saturated), and invisible water vapour in the air
condenses to form suspended water droplets. Fog can reduce visibility to 1/4 mile or less,
creating hazardous driving conditions. If you can't postpone your trip until dense fog lifts --
usually by late morning or the afternoon -- follow these tips:

 Drive with lights on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and
actually impair visibility even more.
 Reduce your speed -- and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow
motion when you may actually be speeding.
 Listen for traffic you cannot see. Open your window a little, to hear well.
 Use wipers and defrosters as necessary for maximum visibility.
 Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
 Be patient. Do not pass lines of traffic.


The best advice we can give to drivers confronted with thick fog is to get off the road as soon as
possible. If you can't or won't pull off the road we offer the following advice:
 Keep your minimum safety gap to three seconds in ideal conditions; with the decreased
visibility fog causes, this interval should be increased substantially.
 Slow down. Most fog-related traffic fatalities occur because someone was driving too fast
and couldn't stop in time to avoid a collision.
 Make sure that you can be seen. Turn on your fog lights, and use low beams. High beams
direct light up into the fog making it difficult for you to see. Low beams direct light down onto the
road and help other drivers to see you.
 If you leave the road, be sure to pull off completely. Turn off your driving lights and turn on
your flashers so others know you're there but won't think you are driving on the road.
 Always use your defroster and windscreen wipers in foggy conditions to keep the windows
clear.
 Keep an eye on your speedometer and maintain a slow, constant speed.
 Remember that other drivers have a limited sight distance and that fog can leave roadways
slick. Signal early, and when you use your brakes, doesn’t stomp on them.

Driving in Fog

DRIVE WITH LIGHTS on low beam. High beams will only be reflected back off the fog and
actually impair visibility even more. Your lights help other drivers see your vehicle, so be
sure they all work. Keep your windshield and headlights clean, to reduce the glare and
increase visibility.

SLOW DOWN - and watch your speedometer - before you enter a patch of fog. Be sure that
you can stop within the distance that you can see. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow
 motion when you may actually be speeding. Speed is a major factor in fog-related crashes

WATCH OUT for slow-moving and parked vehicles. Listen for traffic you cannot see. Open
your window a little, to hear well.

REDUCE THE DISTRACTIONS in your vehicle. Turn off the radio and cell phone. Your full
attention is required.

USE WIPERS AND DEFROSTERS liberally for maximum visibility. Sometimes it is difficult
to determine if poor visibility is due to fog or moisture on the windshield.

USE THE RIGHT EDGE of the road or painted road markings as a guide.

BE PATIENT. Avoid passing and/or changing lanes.

SIGNAL TURNS well in advance and brake early as you approach a stop
DO NOT STOP on a freeway or heavily traveled road. You could become the first link in a
chain-reaction collision. If you must pull off the road, signal (people tend to follow tail lights
when driving in fog), then carefully pull off as far as possible. After pulling off the road, turn
on your hazard flashers(hazard lights should only be used when you pull over to show that
you are parked on the side of the road). Move away from the vehicle.

The best advice for driving when there is a dense fog is to delay the trip until conditions have
improved. However, this is not always possible. Fog can limit visibility to less than 50 feet. At 60
miles per hour, that's just over half a second in front of you. It is imperative to do everything
possible to increase your vision as well as alert other drivers to your intentions as early as
possible.

Visibility

1. It is difficult to notice fog becoming thicker, so visibility can decrease without you being
aware of it. To increase your vision, use windshield wipers and the defroster to minimize any
condensation on the windows. Also be sure to use low beam lights because high beam lights
reflect back in your eyes. For guidance in following the road, follow the solid lines on the outer
lanes.

Following Distance
2. With decreased visibility comes a decreased amount of time to react to other cars, road
changes, and even pedestrians and animals in the road. At high speeds, the car can reach
unseen objects in the distance before you have a chance to react to it. While it can be very
reassuring to have a car in front of you to follow, you still need to keep a proper following
distance. You can judge how close you are based on the skip marks--the white dashes
between lanes on the highway. Each skip mark is about 40 feet apart so if you can't see any
skip marks you are too close. Try to stay as far back as possible while still keeping the vehicle
ahead of you in your sight. Fog also makes roads damp so braking will require a greater
distance. Do not use cruise control so that you are always fully in control of the car.

Alerting Other Drivers

3. Not only does fog increase the chances of having problems with keeping your vehicle on
the road, but it also increases the chances of being surprised by the actions of other cars.
Giving other cars the maximum amount of time to react will help to avoid accidents. Though
you should not change lanes unless you really have to, when you do, turn on your blinkers well
in advance of the change so other cars can react. Also, try to apply the brakes gradually so
other drivers will have a chance to react and avoid a pileup.

Fog Driving Safety Tips

 Drive with lights on LOW beam. High beams will reflect off the fog, creating a "white wall"
effect.
 Reduce your speed - and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow
motion when you may actually be speeding.
 Avoid crossing traffic lanes.
 Travel with the driver’s window partially open. Listen for traffic.
 Watch for CHP pace cars to guide you.
 If your car is disabled or you can’t continue, pull well onto the shoulder and turn off lights.
Move away from your vehicle.
 Consider postponing your trip until the fog lifts

Tips for driving in fog

Winter has set in but where is the cold that we all want? From the past few days, all we have been
experiencing is some cold wave with lots of fog. It makes driving or riding an uncomfortable
experience. Especially when one is already late for their office or for any other purpose. The best
option would be to park your vehicle at the side of the road  and wait till the fog lifts up. I don’t think
that would be acceptable with many as this would mean waste of time. I have compiled up some
of the tips for driving in fog.

 First and foremost, the lights must be operational. Not many care for the maintenance of
their lights as long as they work in nights. Other than that, they wouldn’t deserve a second
glance. Before setting out on your journey, wipe the glass covering the head lamps with hot
water. After doing this, use a simple newspaper to clean the glass area. This would ensure
that there are no swirl marks. Also if the glass area is darkened, it would be wise to replace
them and go for new ones. The ones you buy should also be original ones and matching
the wattage of the lamps installed. This is advisable because the glass would then black out
after some time of usage. The tail lamps would also have to be checked to see that they are
working and also whether the brake lamps are in prime condition.
 Before entering a fog filled area, slow down a bit. Often when in fog, you feel that you aren’t
moving too fast as a slow motion effect is created. Don’t be deceived by it and go slow. You
might reach your destination a bit late however in one piece.

 Don’t try to overtake unless absolutely required. This is a strict rule to follow should you be
driving in conditions of fog. Also, it is best to avoid even changing lanes. If you have a car
moving ahead of you in a straight road, maintain a safe distance and follow it.
 In foggy conditions, don’t keep your windows open. Instead turn on the heater and put it in
recirculation mode. This would avoid the outside air from entering the car.
 When driving in fog, be sure to turn off the high beam. Many people have this notion that
putting on high beam would ensure that they get the maximum visibility. They couldn’t have
been more wrong. Infect, high beam makes the driver coming from the opposite direction to
be disoriented. The high beam also distorts vision. Putting on fog lamps{if you have one} or
even low beam ensures that the road ahead is visible to you and at the same time, you are
looking out for the safety of others.
 Road marking are another important part which help in safe motoring in conditions of fog.
Drive slowly and try to be as close to the road markings to ensure that you know where the
road is leading to. This would keep your focus on the road.
 Before going around a corner. Try the flash lights thrice so that vehicles from the other end
know that you are going to corner. Also put on the indicators well in advance so that the
one following you doesn’t bang into you. Also brake early so that the person behind has
time to react. It is also advisable to turn on the wipers and defrosters to ensure maximum
visibility.
 If for some reason, you want to pull off the road, be sure to turn on the indicators well in
advance so that even if the person following you is trying to overtake you, then he would be
warned well in advance. In fog, other drivers also have the same problem of less visibility
and if at all you want to brake, brake slowly. As far as possible, avoid urgent braking.
 Last but definitely not the least tips for driving in fog is to keep your calm and cool even if
there is traffic. This would ensure that you can concentrate on the road ahead and steer
clear of any obstacles.